Apparatus for installing inserts in doors

ABSTRACT

An insert is installed in a door and the like by cutting a portion from the door for providing the door with an opening. A clip having a pair of parallel leg portions connected by a back portion and provided with a portion extending from one of the leg portions and arranged past the back portion is placed on all but the last side of the cutout to be cut. These clips are arranged near the start of the cut for holding the cutout in place during the cutting. The leg portions embrace a portion of the cutout, and the extending portion rests on a surface of the door. The cutout and clip are removed from the opening once the cutting is completed, and an insert is held in position in the opening by a support member having a pair of spaced, parallel, planar members abutting the insert and a supporting surface spaced from the door. The insert is now secured to the door.

United States Patent [191 Rogers [451 May21, 1974 APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING INSERTS IN 21 Appl. No.: 289,363

52 us. Cl. 269/9, 24/73 B, 144/288 R,

144/309 N, 269/296, 269/321 F [51] Int. Cl B25b 5/00, B27b 29/00, B27m 3/00 [58] Field of Search 33/194; 144/288 R, 288 C, 144/326 R, 309 N; 29/424, 464; 52/357-359; 24/73 B, 81 B; 269/289, 296, 321 F, 9

Scott 144/288 R Primary ExaminerRoy Lake Assistant Examiner-Neil Abrams Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Clarence OBrien; Harvey B. Jacobson [5 7] ABSTRACT An insert is installed in a door and the like by cutting a portion from the door for providing the door with an opening. A clip having a pair of parallel leg portions connected by a back portion and provided with a portion extending from one of the leg portions and arranged past the back portion is placed on all but the last side of the cutout to be cut. These clips are arranged near the start of the cut for holding the cutout in place during the cutting. The leg portions embrace a portion of the cutout, and the extending portion rests on a surface of the door. The cutout andclip are removed from the opening once the cutting is completed, and an insert is held in position in the opening by a support member having a pair of spaced, parallel, planar members abutting the insert and a supporting surface spaced from the door. The insert is now secured to the door.

3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED W 21 4 sum 2 0f 2 Fig.3

APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING INSERTS IN DOORS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a method for installing inserts in doors and the like, and to apparatus for carrying out the method.

2. Description of the Prior Art It is well known and quite popular to provide doors and the like with inserts such as windows, mirrors, and aesthetic pieces. Frequently, these inserts are added to preexisting doors of both hollow core and solid con,- struction. However, difficulties are encountered when cutting out a portion of the door to provide an opening for the insert. One of these difficulties is due to the weight of the cut portion binding a portion being cut against the saw. Further, the insert must be held in position in the opening resulting from removal of the cutout until the insert is secured to the door.

These difficulties not only cause problems and inefficiencies for the professional installer, but for the handyman and do-it-yourselfer as well.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method for installing inserts in doors and the like which overcomes the difficulties set out above, and permits fast, efficient installation by both the skilled and unskilled.

It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus for carrying out a method according to the present invention.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide apparatus which is marketable as a kit.

These and other objects are achieved according to the present invention by cutting a portion from a member to be provided with an insert for providing an opening in the member; placing supporting clips in cut por-- tions during the cutting for holding the cutout in place; removing the cutout and clips from the opening after the cutting is completed; spacing the member from a supporting surface; holding an insert in position in the .and a portion extending from one of the leg portions and arranged past the back portion for resting on a surface of the door or other member to be provided with an insert.

The support member which holds the insert in the opening is advantageously a holder having a pair of spaced, parallel, planar members. Each of these planar members has a surface arranged for abutting one of the insert in the supporting surface. At least one member is arranged between the planar members for spacing them from one another.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a step in a method according to the present invention for installing an insert in a door.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2, but showing a different step in the installation of an insert.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a pattern which may be used with the present invention.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views showing two embodiments of clips according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an insert holder according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings show a door 10 arranged on a supporting surface such as a workbench l2 and spaced therefrom as by edge supports advantageously in the form of, for example, a brick mold 14 or other suitable door frame. A pattern 16 (FIG. 4) is arranged on door 10 in a known manner such as by nails or clamps (not shown), and is provided with notches 18 for fitting around hinges 20 mounting brick mold 14 to door 10. Door 10, which may be either a conventional hollow core door, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, or a solid door, is supported on bench 12 by brick mold 14 being arranged down. An aperture 22 is formed in pattern 16 for defining the insert opening. A cutout 24 is now out from door 10 in a conventional manner, such as by using a, for example, router (not shown), to provide an opening 26 for receiving an insert. A supporting clip 28 (FIG. 5) is placed on all but the last edge 30 of opening 26 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) during the cutting for holding cutout 24 in place. It is to be understood that although the drawings show opening 26 as a parallelogram, any suitable geometric shape may be used. Best results are obtained if cutting is started at, for example, corner 31 and continued clockwise as viewed in FIG. 1, with clips 28 positioned near the start of the cut of each edge 30 as shown. Cutout 24 is removed from opening 26 after the cutting is completed, and an insert 32 is held in position in opening 26 by arranging a support member such as insert holder 34 (FIGS. 3 and 7) between insert 32 and workbench 12. Insert 32 may be, for example, a standard window unit such as sold under the trademark Visador, and may be secured to door 10 by, for example, screws (not shown).

Each clip 28 has a U-shaped section including a pair of substantially parallel, leg portions 36 and 38 connected together by a back portion 40 and arranged for embracing a portion of cutout 24 (FIG. 2). Clip 28 also has a portion 42 extending from one of the leg portions 36, 38, leg portion 38 being so provided in the illustrated embodiment, and arranged past back portion 40 for resting on the upper surface of door 10. Portion 42 is provided with a bend 44 which permits clip 28 to hold cutout 24 in a position slightly below the level of the upper surface of door 10, as can best be seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings. Since most inserts 32 will have a rectangular configuration, a kit according to the present invention will advantagouesly include, for example,

three clips 28', one clip 28 for the first three sides of the associated opening.

Another embodiment of a supporting clip according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 6 and designated as 46. This clip 46 has in the manner of clip 28 a pair of leg portions 48 and 50 connected together by a back portion 52, with a portion 54 extending from,

for example, leg portion 50 and past back portion 52. I

The principal difference between clips 28 and 46 is that while clip 28 is specifically intended for embracing the veneer of a hollow core door (FIG. 2), FIG. 6 has an increased distance betwen leg portions 48 and 50 which permits it to be used with solid doors.

Clips 28 and 48 may be adjusted to a particular thickness of veneer orsolid door in a simple manner by bending leg portion 36, 48 as with a hammer or pliers. This will prevent cutout 24 from vibrating out of clips 28, 46 as by vibrations induced in door 10 by te cutting process.

An insert holder 34 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7 of the drawings has a pair of spaced, parallel, planar members fit various sizes of inserts 32. As can best be seen from 7 FIG. 3 of the drawings, insert 32 has an open rim portion 60 which is put in place after the remainder of insert 32 is arranged in opening 26 by holder 34. Screws and the like (not shown) may now be applied for securing insert 32 to door 10.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A holder set for installing inserts in doors and the like, comprising, in combination:

a. a plurality of clips, each clip arranged for holding in place out portions of a cutout while same is being cut from a member to be provided with an insert, and including a U-shaped section formed by a pair of substantially parallel, leg portions and a back portion connecting together the leg portions, the

U-shaped section arranged for embracing a cutout portion in a member to be provided with an opening, and a cantilever portion arranged extending from and parallel to a longer one of the leg portions and away from the back portion in a direction of extent of the longer leg portion for resting on an upwardly disposed surface of the member to be provided with an insert, the cantilever portion being provided with a bend which permits the clip to hold a cutout in a position slightly below the upwardly disposed surface of the member,

b. a holder arrangeable holding an insert in an opening formed in the member by removal of the cutout made with the aid of the clips while securing the insert to the member, the holder comprising a pair of spaced, parallel, planar member, each of the planar members having a surface arrangeable abutting one of the inserts and a supporting surface, and a pair of uprights arranged between the planar members for spacing same, the uprights disposed entirely within perpendicular projections of the planes of the planar members, and the planar member arrangeable abutting the insert having a longitudinal extent greater than a longitudinal extent of the other planar member.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the set has three clips, one for the first three sides cut of a parallelogram-shaped cutout.

3. A holder for assisting in making openings in doors and the like, comprising a clip having a U-shaped section formed by a pair of leg portions and a back portion connecting the leg portions, and arranged for embracing a cutout portion in a member to be provided with an opening, and a portion arranged extending from and parallel to a longer one of the leg portions and away from the back portion and in a direction of extent of the longer leg portion for resting on an upwardly disposed surface of the member to be provided with an insert, the portion being provided with a bend which permits the clip to hold a cutout in a position slightly below the upwardly disposed surface of the member. 

1. A holder set for installing inserts in doors and the like, comprising, in combination: a. a plurality of clips, each clip arranged for holding in place cut portions of a cutout while same is being cut from a member to be provided with an insert, and including a U-shaped section formed by a pair of substantially parallel, leg portions and a back portion connecting together the leg portions, the U-shaped section arranged for embracing a cutout portion in a member to be provided with an opening, and a cantilever portion arranged extending from and parallel to a longer one of the leg portions and away from the back portion in a direction of extent of the longer leg portion for resting on an upwardly disposed surface of the member to be provided with an insert, the cantilever portion being provided with a bend which permits the clip to hold a cutout in a position slightly below the upwardly disposed surface of the member, b. a holder arrangeable holding an insert in an opening formed in the member by removal of the cutout made with the aid of the clips while securing the insert to the member, the holder comprising a pair of spaced, parallel, planar member, each of the planar members having a surface arrangeable abutting one of the inserts and a supporting surface, and a pair of uprights arranged between the planar members for spacing same, the uprights disposed entirely within perpendicular projections of the planes of the planar members, and the planar member arrangeable abutting the insert having a longitudinal extent greater than a longitudinal extent of the other planar member.
 2. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the set has three clips, one for the first three sides cut of a parallelogram-shaped cutout.
 3. A holder for assisting in making openings in doors and the like, comprising a clip having a U-shaped section formed by a pair of leg portions and a back portion connecting the leg portions, and arranged for embracing a cutout portion in a member to be provided with an opening, and a portion arranged extending from and parallel to a longer one of the leg portions and away from the back portion and in a direction of extent of the longer leg portion for resting on an upwardly disposed surface of the member to be provided with an insert, the portion being provided with a bend which permits the clip to hold a cutout in a position slightly below the upWardly disposed surface of the member. 